Steering system for canoes and the like

ABSTRACT

A steering system for a boat such as a canoe or the like wherein the system comprises a frame that is detachably secured to the canoe&#39;&#39;s end edge by an arcuate, channel-shaped sling. A rudder assembly having a pivotal rudder is detachably secured to the frame and controlled by a tiller and cable.

United States Patent 1 1 Caton et al.

1 1 STEERING SYSTEM FOR CANOES AND THE LIKE [76] Inventors: Dolphus D.Caton, 149 Beebe Ave.;

John R. Ralph, 180 College Park Drive, Apt. B-9, both of Elyria, Ohio44035 [22] Filed: Jan. 24, 1974 [211 App]. No.: 436,157

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 332,674, Feb.15, 1973, Pat. No.

[52] U.S. Cl 114/165; 114/165 [51] Int. Cl. B6311 25/02 [58] Field ofSearch l14/l62,165,152,153,

114/132, 128, 144 R, 144 M; 115/28 R, 29, 21, 22, 23, 25; 248/4 [56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,475,889 7/1949 Hafele 248/4Dec.2,1975

Jones....

2,646,765 7/1953 Boles 115/22 3,001,502 9/1961 Stoker ll4/l67 3,645,4832/1972 Bartosch et al 248/4 Primary Examiner-Trygve M. BliX AssistantExaminer-Charles E. Frankfort Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Bacon & Thomas 57ABSTRACT A steering system for a boat such as a canoe or the likewherein the system comprises a frame that is detachably secured to thecanoes end edge by an arcuate, channel-shaped sling. A rudder assemblyhaving a pivotal rudder is detachably secured to the frame andcontrolled by a till'er and cable.

4 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 Sheet 1 of4 v3,922,988

U.S. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 Sheet 2 of4 STEERING SYSTEM FOR CANOES AND THELIKE This is a division of application Ser. No. 332,674, filed Feb. 15,1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,243.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The presentinvention relates generally to steering systems for boats such as canoesor the like which utilize rudders for directing the boats course ordirection of travel. More particularly, the present invention relates toa steering system which is adapted particularly for use with thedifferent kinds of canoes known in the prior art. The steering system ischaracterized by the presence of two rudders which are pivotally mountedagainst a spring bias such that they are adapted to flip up as a unitwhen the rudders encounter obstructions or obstacles beneath the surfaceof the water, thereby preventing damage to the steering system.

It is well known that canoes and similar type boats which are adaptedparticularly for use by one or two persons are utilized more frequentlyfor travel over shallow waters which contain rocks, submerged logs andother dangerous obstructions beneath and close to the waters surface.The provision of any steering system which employs a rudder or similardownwardly projecting mecahnism for directing the course of the.

canoes travel over such shallow waters encounters the strong risk ofdamage to such apparatus when they strike a submerged obstruction.Further, due to the nature and relatively light weight of a boat such asa ca-- noe, it is highly desirable that any steering system to be"incorporated therewith be of the type that is easily attached to andremoved from the canoe without the necessity of physically altering oradapting the boats basic structure. This permits the boat to be easilytransported and utilized in the absence of an auxiliary steering systemif so desired. In addition, it is sometimes highly desirable that acanoe or similar boat be steered by means of a system other than thestandard canoe paddle when the individual within the boat desires toengage in other activities such as photography. As such, it is necessaryto have a steering system which requires a minimum of maintenance andattention. Finally, should alight weight boat such as a canoe beutilized in conjunction with a sail and outriggers, it is of utmostimportance that a strong and easily controllable steering system bepresent in this-situation from the standpoint of safety, especiallywhenmore than one person is participating in the sailing of the boat.

2. Description of the Prior Art The prior art is replete with examplesand teachings of various forms of steering systems for boats whichutilize some form of rudder arrangement. The particular use of a doublerudder system is exemplified by the.

Rickard et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,528,608 and the Specht U.S. Pat. No.3,147,730. These patents both teach similar steering systems whichutilize two rudders that areactuated by a control means remote from thegeneral vicinity of the rudders. The concept of providing a rud--- derwhich is adapted to flip up out of the way when the rudder encounters anobstruction beneath the surface of the water is exemplified by thePatterson.U.S. Pat. No. 2,991,749 and Crabille U.S. Pat. No. 3,085,540.However, the systems disclosed by these patents, and

those similar systems well known in the prior art fail to.

provide for a strong and safe steering assembly which includes tworudders that are adapted to flip up out of the way when an obstructionis encountered. Further, they fail to teach a steering system which maybe easily and quickly attached to a canoe or similar boat without thephysical alteration or adaption of the craft to'the steering system. Thepresent systems in the-prior art are basically permanent installationswhich are functionally limited and incapable of versatile applications.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a strongand safe steering which is adapted to be easilyattached to or removedfrom the boat with which it is to be used.

Itis another object of the present invention to provide for a steeringsystem which includes a rudder assembly having two rudders that areprotected from damage despite the presence of obstructions beneath thesurface of the water.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a steering systemwhich is easily. adapted for use with many formsof boats such as canoesor the like without the need for altering or adapting the inherentphysical characteristics of the boat.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a steeringsystem which can be safely used by a lightweight boat such as a canoe orthe like when more than one person is riding in the boat.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide for asteering system wherein the steering of the boat can be accomplished bythe exercise of a minimum amount of attention and effort on the part ofthe person operating the system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention serves to overcome thebasic problems inherent with the steering systems of the prior art byproviding for a steering system which comprises a frame that is easilyattached to or removed from the canoe or similar boat without alteringor adapting the basic structure of the boat to the system. A rudderassembly' is. pivotally attached to the frame and includes two rudders.A resilient means, such as a pair of coil springs, serves to bias therudders downwardly in their operative position beneath the surface ofthe water. Either a pair of foot-operated pedals or a manuallyoperatedtiller may be detachably secured to the thwart of the canoe for thepurpose of controlling the angular positions of the rudders through aflexible cable system. The frame may be attached to any prior. art canoeby utilizing either a horizontal shaft which fits through the eyelet ofthe canoe or by utilizing a channel-shaped arcuate sling'which fits.over the end edge of the canoe when the latter is not provided with aneyelet.

' BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A full understanding of theconstruction of the present invention together with further novelfeatures and advantages, will be had from the following detaileddescription of the preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunctionwith the attached drawings wherein;

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the steering assembly of the present invention;1

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the steering assembly of FIG. 1;

3 the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 6-6of FIG. 4

FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view, partly in section, taken along theline 7-7 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken alongthe line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, taken along the line 9-9of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional view, taken along the line 10-10 ofFIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary plan view of a second embodiment ormodification of the steering assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the steering assemblyof FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken alongthe line 13-13 of FIG. 12.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2,there is depicted an embodiment of the present invention as incorporatedwith a canoe 1. A canoe 1 may be of any standard form and is providedwith a rear seat 3, a plurality of thwarts 5 and a front seat 7. Thecanoe 1 also includes a pair of side rails or gunwales 9 which taperboth forwardly and rearwardly to intersect at a forward eye 11 and arearward eye 13. As seen, the canoe 1 of this embodiment is providedwith a sailing adaptation assembly which includes a mast and sail unit,indicated generally at 15, and an outrigger unit 17, the latter beingprovided for the purpose of stabilizing the canoe.

The steering system, indicated generally at 19, is shown detachablyinstalled over the rear seat 3 and rear eyelet 13 of the canoe. Thesteering system 19 includes a generally rectangular-shaped frame means21 provided ith a pair of cut-outs 23 at its forward corners for thepurpose of resting upon and conforming to the shape of the canoes siderails 9. The rearward portion of the frame 21 is secured to the canoe 1by means of a horizontal shaft 25 which is passed through the reareyelet 13. Pivotally secured to the frame 21 is a rudder assembly,indicated generally at 27, and includes a pair of rudders 29 which aresecured to the ends of a pair of rudder shafts 31. A pair of resilientmeans 31 in the form of elongated coil springs or the like are eachsecured at one end adjacent each of the rudder shafts 31 and have theirother ends secured to the frame 21. In this manner, the resilient means33 serve to bias the rudder assembly 27 downwardly in a substantiallyvertical operative position. However, as indicated in FIG. 2, should therudders 29 or rudder shafts 31 strike an obstruction beneath the surfaceof the water, the entire rudder assembly 27 is adapted to pivot upwardlyand substantially outwardly from beneath the water level 35 into aninoperative position. The upper ends of the rudder shafts 31 areprovided with a pair of steering arms 37 which are operatively connectedto the control means located in front of the rear seat 3 of the canoethrough a pair of flexible cable means 39.

The rudder control means, shown generally at 41, is more specificallydepicted in FIGS. 9 and 10. As shown, the control means 41 includes anintegral frame 43 which is adapted to be detachably secured to thecanoes rear seat 3 and thwart 5 by means of a plurality of bracketassemblies 45. The brackets 45 may comprise a pair of flanged, U-shapedplate members 47 which are secured together with wing nut and boltassemblies 49 many suitable equivalent locking assemblies which can beeasily assembled and disassembled. A pair of foot pedals51 provided witha pair of associated heel plates 53 are pivotally secured by a pair ofpivot pins 55 or the like to the frame 43. Extending laterally outwardlyfrom the upper ends of the foot pedals 51 are a pair of extension plates57 which are provided with a pair of eyelet nut and bolt assemblies 59.The ends of the control cables 39 are secured to the eyelets of theassemblies 59 and pass upwardly through a pair of pulleys or sheaves 61which are mounted onto the brackets 45 through plate support means 63.The control cables 39 pass over the pulley 61 and are connected at theirother ends to the steering arms 37 as previously indicated.

The frame means 21 and the rudder assembly 27 pivotally secured theretoare depicted in detail in FIGS. 5 through 7. The horizontal shaft 25which secures the frame 21 to the canoe 1 through its rear eyelet 13also serves to receive pivotally thereon a pair of sleeves 65 of therudder assembly 27. Welded to the sleeves 65 are a pair of angle-shapedrudder shaft housings 67 through which the rudder shafts 31 aresupported for rotational movement. A pair of lower stop collars 69 and apair of upper stop collars 71 serve to locate and secure the rotatableshafts 31 within the housings 67. Welded to and extending rearwardlyfrom the shaft housings are a first pair of support arms 71. Pivotallyjoining the outer ends of support arms 71 is a first rod 73 which servesthe dual function of spacing and stabilizing the pair of shaft housings67. Located directly below and spaced parallel from the first pair ofsupport arms 71 are a second pair of support arms 75 which extendoutwardly in a manner similar to that of support arms 73. Pivotallyjoining the outer ends of support arms 75 is a second rod 77 whichserves as a steering control arm means for the two rudder shafts 31. Thefirst pair of support arms 71 are provided with suitable nut and boltassemblies 79 which serve to secure the ends of the resilient means 33to the rudder assembly 27. Likewise, a pair of eyelet bolt and assemblymeans 81 serve to secure the other ends of the resilient means 33 to theframe 21. The steering arms 37 incude a pair of substantially rightangle shaped threaded sections 37 having one pair of the right angle legsections welded to the upper ends of the rudder shafts 31. The otherright angle leg portions of sections 83 are provided with hollowthreaded ends which receive a pair of eyelet bolts 85. The ends ofcontrol cables 39 are secured to eyelets 85 by means of snap connectors87 or similar easily detachable connection means.

FIGS. 8 and 9 depict in detail a latching mechanism, indicated generallyat 89, which serves to detachably secure the above described steeringassembly to the canoe 1. The latching assembly mechanism 89 includes apivotal angle shaped latch member 91 which is secured to the frame 21 bya nut and bolt assembly 93. Fixed to the underside of the latchingmember 91 is a magnet 95 which is adapted to secure onto the surface offrame 21 when the latch member 91 is in a closed position. Thehorizontal shaft 25 is provided with a flanged head 97 which has alarger diameter than the sleeve bearings 99 secured to the frame 21 andthrough which the shaft 25 is slidably received. When the latch member91 is in its closed position as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, it serves toretain the head 97 of the horizontal shaft 25 firmly against the wall ofthe frame 21, thereby 5. preventing accidental dislodging or theslidable horizontal shaft 25.

FIG. depicts the mechanism which s'ervesto limit the rotational movementof the" rudder shafts 31, thereby preventing uncontrollable locking ordamage to the rudder assembly. The lower portions of rudder shafthousings 67, directly adjacent lower sto'p collars 69, are provided withtwo pairs of stop, members 101. Threadedly secured to the rudder shafts31 directly adjacent stop members 101 are a pair of stop pins 103. As isevident in FIG. 10, rotational movement of the rudder shafts 31 arelimited to a maximum arcuate displacement of approximately 120 due tothe engagement of stop pins 103 against the respective pairs of a stopmembers 101. I

Another embodiment of the presentinvention is depicted in FIGS. 11through The canoe 200 in this case is of the type which does not havefront and rear eyelets. As such, the rudder assembly, indicatedgenerally at 203, of this embodiment is securedto the rear end 205 ofthe canoe 200 by a sling assembly means indicated generally at 207. Thesling assembly means 207 includes a pair of arcuate-shaped members 209which are joined in a spaced apart manner by welding a plurality ofspacers 211 to the outer edges thereof. The sling 207 is adapted to fitover the arcuate-shaped end edge 213 of the canoe and is supportedthereon by means of the spacer plates 211. Welded to the sling 207 andextending outwardly and transversely therefrom.

are a pair of upper support braces 2 15 and a pair of lower supportbraces. 217. A generally rectangularshaped first frame means 219 iswelded to the outer ends of the first pair of support bars 215. Therudder assembly 203 is is detachably secured to first frame means 219 bya horizontal shaft 220 in the exact same manner as indicated for thefirst embodiment and clearly depicted in FIG. 5. Located directly-belowand spaced from the. first frame means 219 is a second frame means 221which is welded to the outer ends of the second pair of support bars217. Asseen in FIG. 12, the forward extending portion of second framemeans 221 includes two longitudinal braces 223 that are angled upwardlyfrom the horizontal to join with a pair of. horizontal braces 225extending forwardly from the first frame means 219. A horizontalconnection plate 227 is provided with threaded end sections 229 forreceiving threaded pins 231. The pins 231 serve to secure the aperturedends 233 and 235 of the pairs of straps 223 and 225, respectively. As isindicated, magnetic latching mechanisms 237, similar to the latchingmechanism described for the first embodiment, may be utilized for thepurpose of securing pins 231 against accidental dislodging.

As in the case of the first embodiment, the steering system of thesecond embodiment is also provided with a pair of steering arms 239which are correspondingly secured to a pair of rudder shafts 241 in thesame manner. However, a single control cable 243 is provided having apair of ends 245 secured to the steering arms 239. The middle portion ofcontrol cable 243 is caused to pass around a pair of pulleys 247 whichare clamped to the thwart 249 of canoe 200 by means of clamps 251 havingthe same basic construction as the clamps utilized in the firstembodiment. Also secured to the thwart 249 by a similar clamp means 253is a manually operated pivotal tiller assembly 255. The tiller assembly255 may be of any type of tiller well known in the art for performingthe required function. The control 6, cable 243 is joinedwiththetillerassembly 255 such that pivoting of the tiller handle 257 causes therespective ends 245 of the control cable 243 to impart syn-' chronizedrotational movement to the steering arms 239 and therefore to the ruddershaft 241. However, it.

is to be understood .thatthe tiller arrangement for actuating thecontrol cable of the second embodiment can be substitutedwith the footpedal mechanism described for the first embodimenteandvice versa.

FIGS; 11 and: 12 depict a pair of rudders, indicated generally;at 300,weldedtothe ruddershafts 241. As shown, rudders300 include a pair ofstandard vertical rudden-plates 30l.having a-:pair of deflector plates303 secured thereto by welding,- such that the planar surfaces ofdeflector plates 303 intersect the planar surfaces of rudder plate 301at substantially right angles. When the rudder shafts 241 are in theirdownward operative position, the deflector plates 303 assume arearwardly extending angular position of approximately 10 above thehorizontal. The rearwardly extending portions of deflector plates 303flare outwardly and terminate in a pair of upwardly curved edge portions305. By virtur'e of this design andconstruction, rudders 300 'assist inmaintaining the rudder assembly downwardly in its operative positionnotwithstanding the presence of water current pressures which tend toforce the assembly upwardly, especially when rotational movement isimparted to the rudder shafts. It is to be understood tha'tthe ruddermodification construction of rudders 300 may similarly be incorporatedin the rudder assem-' bly described for the first embodiment and viceversa.

The materials employed'for the construction of the steering assembly forthe two embodiments described may be those well known in the prior artas being suitable for the operating conditions and environmentsencountered by the present invention. Stainless steel, aluminum' orsimilar .noncorrosive metals may be utilized to advantage. Also, manmade synthetic materials such as plastics and the like may also beutilized. The joining of the basic component parts making up thesteering assembly may be effected by welding, bolting or any othersuitable means well. known in the prior art.

Basic Mode of Operation The steering assembly of the present inventionmay be utilized with a canoe which includes a sailing adaptation kit.However, the present invention can also be utilized when it is desiredto paddle the canoe in the conventional manner in the absence of asailing adaptation kit. In the case of the first embodiment, thesteering assembly is attached to the rear end of the canoe by placingthe frame assembly 21 such that the cut out portions 23 rests upon theside rails or gunwales 9 of the canoe. The rudder assembly is placedbeneath the frame such that the sleeve 65 coincide with the openings inthe bearings 99. The horizontal shaft 25 is then inserted through thebearings 99, sleeve 65 and the eyelet 13 of the canoe. Latching member91 is then closed over the head 97 of the horizontal shafts to secure itin place. The four clamps 45 are then attached to the seat 3 and itsadjacent thwart 5 of the canoe by means of nut and bolt assemblies 49.Since the bracket 43 is secured to the clamps 45, it is thereforelocated in position within the lower portion of the canoes interior suchthat the foot pedals 51 will receive the feet of the person seated inrear seat 3. The steering assemblyis completed by attaching controlcables 39 from the eyelets 59 of the foot pedals to the eyelets of thesteering 7 arms. By alternately manipulating the foot pedals 51, theperson sitting on rear seat 3 will effect coordinated rotationalmovement of the rudder shafts 31 which in turn cause parallel angulardeflection of rudders 29, thereby directing the course of the canoestravel.

Similarly, the steering assembly of the second embodiment may beutilized when the canoe is of the type which does not have eyelets atits opposite ends. In this case, the steering system of the secondembodiment is placed over the rear end edge 213 of the canoe such thatthe channel-shaped sling 207 fits snugly therearound. The straps 223 arebrought together on either side of the canoe 200 such that their ends233 and 235 are coincidental so that threaded pins 231 may be insertedinto the apertures 229. The pins 231 are guarded against accidentaldislodging. The clamps 251 are secured to the thwart 249 of the canoeand, likewise, the tiller assembly 255 is secured to thwart 249 by meansof clamp 253. A single control cable 243 is secured at one end 245 toone of the steering arms and the other end is threaded through pulleys247 and subsequently brought around for connection to the other steeringarm. Directional guidance of the canoe is achieved by pivoting thetiller handle 257, thereby imparting synchronized rotational movement tothe steering arms 239 which in turn rotate the rudder shafts 241 withrudders 300 secured to the ends thereof.

As in the case of both embodiments, should the lower portions of therudder assemblies strike an obstruction or obstacle beneath the surfaceof the water, the entire rudder assembly is caus d to pivot upwardlywith respect to the frame upon which it is pivotally mounted. In thismanner, the obstruction or obstacle is cleared, thereby preventingdamage to the rudder assembly. By virture of the resilient meansconnecting the rudder assembly to the frame, the rudder assembly iscaused to pivot back downwardly into its normal operative position whenthe obstruction or obstacle has been bypassed.

It is to be understood that changes and additions may be made to theembodiments of the present invention by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the basic scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A steering system for a boat such as a canoe or the like having anend edge, a thwart and gunwales, which system comprises, in combination:

a. a substantially rectangular frame supported across the gunwales ofthe canoe;

b. an arcuate channel-shaped sling for detachably securing the frame tothe end edge of the canoe;

c. a rudder assembly including at least one sleeve;

(1. a horizontal bar supported at its ends by the frame and joumaledwithin the sleeve for pivotally supporting the rudder assembly between adownward operative position and an upward inoperative position;

e. latching means associated with the frame for detachably securing thehorizontal bar thereto and preventing accidental removal of the bar;

f. resilient means for biasing the rudder assembly in the downwardoperative position; and

g. control means operatively connected to the rudder assembly forsteering the canoe.

2. The steering system of claim 1 wherein the rudder assembly furtherincludes:

a. a pair of rudder shafts with each shaft having a rudder secured atits lower end;

b. a pair of shaft housings supporting the rudder shafts for rotationalmovement;

c. a steering arm secured to the upper end of each rudder shaft;

(1. a'first means for joining the shaft housings together for spacingand stabilizing the housings; and

e. a second means for joining the rudder shafts together for controllingthe rotational movement of the shafts.

3. The steering system of claim 1 wherein the rudder assembly controlmeans includes:

a. a pivotal tiller;

b. clamping means for detachably securing the tiller to a thwart of thecanoe; and

c. a cable joining the tiller to the rudder assembly for the controlthereof.

4. The steering system of claim 2 wherein each rudde'r includes adeflector plate secured thereto such that the planar surface of therudder intersects the planar surface of the deflector plate atsubstantially a an-

1. A steering system for a boat such as a canoe or the like having anend edge, a thwart and gunwales, which system comprises, in combination:a. a substantially rectangular frame supported across the gunwales ofthe canoe; b. an arcuate channel-shaped sling for detachably securingthe frame to the end edge of the canoe; c. a rudder assembly includingat least one sleeve; d. a horizontal bar supported at its ends by theframe and journaled within the sleeve for pivotally supporting therudder assembly between a downward operative position and an upwardinoperative position; e. latching means associated with the frame fordetachably securing the horizontal bar thereto and preventing accidentalremoval of the bar; f. resilient means for biasing the rudder assemblyin the downward operative position; and g. control means operativelyconnected to the rudder assembly for steering the canoe.
 2. The steeringsystem of claim 1 wherein the rudder assembly further includes: a. apair of rudder shafts with each shaft having a rudder secured at itslower end; b. a pair of shaft housings supporting the rudder shafts forrotational movement; c. a steering arm secured to the upper end of eachrudder shaft; d. a first means for joining the shaft housings togetherfor spacing and stabilizing the housings; and e. a second means forjoining the rudder shafts together for controlling the rotationalmovement of the shafts.
 3. The steering system of claim 1 wherein therudder assembly control means includes: a. a pivotal tiller; b. clampingmeans for detachably securing the tiller to a thwart of the canoe; andc. a cable joining the tiller to the rudder assembly for the controlthereof.
 4. The steering system of claim 2 wherein each rudder includesa deflector plate secured thereto such that the planar surface of therudder intersects the planar surface of the deflector plate atsubstantially a 90* angle.